Post-Operative Outcome of Microscopic Discectomy in Patients with Lumber Disc Herniation

Background: The symptoms of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) include back discomfort and malfunction of the nerve roots. Instead of being a novel treatment, microdiscectomy (MD) is viewed as a technological variation of normal discectomy.
Objective: To evaluate the post-operative outcome of microscopic discectomy in patients with lumber disc herniation.
Patients and Methods: This study included 20 patients with herniated lumbar disc who have been treated by microdiscectomy [12 cases operated through microscopic fenestration (9 cases by aid of microscope and 3 cases by loup magnification) while 8 cases through transmuscular approach (all by loup magnification)].
Results: The mean age of the studied patient was 46.07 ± 8.4 years, most of them were males (70%). Both (foraminal and extraforaminal) disc zone herniation among patients were the predominant (55%). The common level involved in microscopic approaches was L4-5 level (45%). The mean operation duration was 62 ± 13 min. and the mean blood loss was 67.5 ± 38 cc. A stable postoperative dynamic x-ray was done in all cases of standard microscopic fenestration (n=12) and all cases of trans-muscular approaches (n=8). There was no recurrence among all studied patients.
Conclusion: Microsurgical discectomy could be considered as the main surgical method in patients with lumbar disk herniation.